Rotary engine.



A. METZLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co.,w,\smN c4 A. METZLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28,1912.

l ,1 52,034. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awumtoz a witnesses coLumuu PLANDGRAPH :0. WASHINGTON. D. c

A. METZLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT.28. 1912.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Wibwzooeo aorrn ANTON ,METZLER, or ROCHESTER-NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 31, 1915'.

Application filed September as, 1912. Serial No. 722,845.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANTON METZLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide motor. Thisand other objects of my in- .vention will be fully illustrated in thedrawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved rotary engine with the reversing valve shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my rotary engine partly broken away. Figs. 3 and t are sectional views of the reversing valve, the parts being shown in different positions from Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2, with the reversing valve shown in a fourth position. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the piston blades. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the arms or links that support the piston blades. Fig. 9 isa perspective view of the enginecasing. Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10 -l0 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the piston shell with the blades omitted. 1

In the accompanying drawings reference numeral 1 indicates the engine casing. This engine casing is'provided witha cylinder 2 and a valve chamber 3. The cylinder is provided withadm'ission and exhaust ports' l and 5. The engine casing is also provided with the ports 6 and 7 through which the steam passes from the steam space into contact with the piston blades, or viceversa. The engine cylinder is cylindrical where the pistons are adapted to rotate.

Mounted to rotate within the cylinder is the piston shell 8, which shell is cylindrical in form and has on the outer edges thereof the flanges 9 and 10, which-flanges engage with and embrace the sides of the engine cylinder '2, forming a steam or gas tight joint therewith; The flange 9 is integral with theshell and the flange 10 is separate therefrom and is bolted thereto so as to per; m'it the assembling of the. parts. The shell is slotted endwise as "is indicated in "cross an improved form of rotary engine or .will now be. described.

section in Fig. 5, at 12 places. Through each of the slots so formed extend the piston blades 11. The shell is bored out to acvlindrical recess in line with each of these slots, as 1s shown-fat 11. in Fig. 5. The piston blades 11 extend through these slots and the segmental space left between the blades and the shell is filled in with segmental packing 11", which packing maybe either of metal or fiber, as may be, desired. The piston blade 11 makes a snug fit with the slotsopening in the shell 8 with which it engages, so that its motion is always radial to said shell.

Each Iofthe piston blades is provided with the arms 12 and l3 whichextend outwardly from the inner end thereof,-which arms are parallel to the. piston blade. Suflic'ient space isprovidedbetween said arms and their piston blade-to afford clearance for the casing andfor theflanges of the piston shell. Inside of the piston shell is provided the governing shaft 1 1, which shaft isprovided with a floating suspension which Loosely'mounted upon this'shaft are the wheels 15 and 16. On each end of the shaft is provided a nut 17 and 18. nlnterposed I the'top for the purpose of engaging the out turned ends of the arms 12 and 13, and have the segmental recess 23 at the bottom for the purpose of loosely engaging with the wheels 15 and 16.. The wheels 15 and l fi are grooved for the purpose of receiving the ends of the links '2l. and holding them loosely and firmly in place. Theshaft 14 and wheels 15 and 16 are concentric with the cylinder 2. When assembled the shaft, the springs, the wheels, the links and the blades all cooperate with each other to hold all of the parts in their respective positions within the'piston shell.v I .Th links 23 are provided With a liberal bearing'or engagement with the wheel, so as to firmly seat themselves thereon, and to provide for this the links at their inner ends are madeto overlap each other, as shown in Fig.5. By tightening the nuts 17 and 18 the piston blades may be forced outward into contact with the cylinder with any desired pressure. This pressure is transmitted through the compression springs 19 and 20 the wheels 15 and 16 which can move along the shaft and the links 21 which links may be termed compression links. Rigidly connected to th piston shell on each side thereof are the spiders 24 and 25, each of which terminates in a hub or boss which is keyed to the shafts 26 and 27 which constitute the driving shaft forthe engine.

In the operation of the'engine or motor, when the steam is admitted as shown in Fig. 5, the steam will pass through the port 7 and engage with the blades 11, causing the piston shell to rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrow. The piston shell with 1 concentric. The spiders are made suffi ciently large to afford ample clearance betweenfthem and the links 21, wheels 15, shaft 14 and otherpartsof the governing mechanism. Theflinks 21 are cut away at 28 as indicated in Fig. 1, for the purpose o affording additional 7 clearance between themselves and the arms.29 of the spider, it being'apparent that duringthe rotation of the piston the inner ends of the links 23 will shift backward and forward on the wheels 15..and 16. It will also be apparent that the outer ends offthe piston blades will be closer together when on the'left .of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5,.and will be farther apart when they areon the right ofthe cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5. This constant approaching and receding ofthe outer ends of the piston blades'from each other will causethe links 21 to move attheir outer ends, rocking with their inner ends loosely around the wheels on which they have their bearing. The enginecylinder has the flanges 51 and 52 on either side thereof. .Thesefianges are each pierced with a circular opening through which the piston shell extends. On these flanges the shell is supported and. has its bearingfand' by them it is held in placei These circular openings are eccentricto the center of the engine cylinder. The piston shell has theflange lO'on one end that is detachable and which isclamped in place after the shell and engine cylinder have been as sembled. The flanges?) and 10 on the piston shell engage on the outside of'the flanges 51and 52 ofqthe cylinder and by them the piston shell is vheld against endwise movement.

As shown in Figs. 1 in 2, the piston'shell mission or exhaust ports.

perforated with the three-way openlng 32 is mounted to rotate with the shafts 26 and engineicylinder at the division plate 40 that is between the intake and exhaust ports. If desired the bearings 53 and 54 may be omitted and the piston shell and its shafts may be supported entirely with the engagement that the shell makes with the engine cylinder. The piston blades 11 will be radial to the engine cylinder when they are in line with both the power and governing shafts, and will be eccentric to the engine cylinder in all intermediate positions.

In Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 I have shown a special form of reversing valve to be used in connection with my engine. This valve consists of a valve stem 30 mounted to rotate in the valve chamber or seat 3. lhis valve seat has the opening 31 on one side thereof and the ports 4' and5 on the opposite side thereof, which can be used interchangeably as ad- The valve stem is through which the fluid pressure is conducted from the port 31 to either of the ports 4 or 5, as may be desired. It is also provided with the exhaust ports 33 and 34 which can alternately be placed into engagement with the ports 4 or 5 for the purpose of taking care of the exhaust therefrom. The exhaust port 34 is specially shaped, as shown, so that it can be placed in the position indicated in Fig. 4, which will permit the steam or other fluid torotate or circulate idly with the piston without interfering therewith. With the exhaust valve 34 placed in the position shown in Fig. 4, the piston may be permitted to run idly, its operation then being properly termed as coasting.

It is obvious that the center ofrotation of the piston shell-is eccentric to the enginecylinder and will cause the piston shell to have 'a relative sliding movement upon the piston blades as they rotate, increasing or decreasing the steam space and providing for the working of the steam or gas expansively on the piston blades during the rotation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and patentable'is as follows:

. 1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, radial piston blades therein, each of said piston blades having arms extending outwardly and upwardly from the'inner end thereof," said arms being out turned at the top, links engaging with the out turned ends of J said arms and extending inwardly, grooved wheels with which said links engage, a shaft "on which said wheels are mounted, the outer ends of said bladesniow ing substantially concentric with said shaft.

'2. In a rotary engine, the combination of piston blades extending 'radially through said shell and making contact with themner surface of said cylinder, flanges on the outer edges of said piston shellengaging with the outer surface of the cyl1nder,-said flanges being concentric with the circular opening excentrically located in the sides of the cylinder.

3. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylindricalpiston shell, piston blades extending therethrough, a shaft extending centrally through said shell, connections between said piston blades and said shaft for supporting said shaft. v

I at. In a rotary engine, thecombination of a cylindrical piston shell, piston blades extending therethrough, a shaft extending through said shell, wheels on said shaft,

' compression links yieldingly engaging-between said piston blades and said wheels. r

5. Ina rotary engine, the combination of 'a'cylindrical piston shell, piston blades extending therethrough, a shaft extending through said shell, wheels on said shaft, compression links yieldingly engaging between said piston'blades andsaid wheels, said compression links being slightly dished toward a compression spring on said shaft for holding said wheel in place against the thrust of said links. I

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, pistonblades mounted tolrotate therein, said blades being arranged less than 90 degrees apart, a single means for yieldingly holding said piston blades in contact with the cylinder during the rotation of said blades.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination of.

a cylinder, piston blades mounted to rotate piston blades in contact with the cylinder during the rotation of said blades, said means comprising a shaft common to all of i said blades, links extending diagonally from said shaft to said blades, springs on said shaft, said springs tending to move the ends of'said links inwardly along the shaft and tending to spread theouter ends of said links.

8. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a cylindrical piston shell eccentrically mounted therein,'piston blades extending through said shell and making contact with said cylinder, said piston blades moving radial to said piston shell and being mounted to swing to and from radial position with said cylinder during the rotation of said blades.

9. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a cylindrical piston shell mounted eccentrically therein, said piston shell making contact with said cylinder at one ed, eccentrically therein, said piston shell making contact "Wlbll said cylmderat one point, piston blades mounted in saidpiston shell moving radially thereto, said'blades being radial to the cylinder at two points and being eccentric to the cylinder at intermediate points, means for holding'all of said piston blades yieldingly in contact with the cylinder during the rotation of said piston blades. 7 11. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston shell eccentrically mounted to rotate therein, spiders connected tothe opposite ends-of said piston shell', shafts connectedto the ends of saidspiders, said shaft terminating in the hubs of the spiders. I I I 12. In a rotary engine, the combination ofa cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein, spiders connected to the opposite ends of-said piston shell, shafts c0nnected to'the ends ofsaid spiders, said shaft being concentric with said piston shell and eccentric with the cylinder. I p

13. In a. rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein eccentric to the cylinder, spiders connected to the opposite ends of said piston shell, shafts connected to the ends of said spiders, piston blades extending through said shell, a shaft extending through said piston shell, links connecting between said shaft and said piston blades, by which said shaft is suspended from said piston blades.

14. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein eccentric to the cylinder, spiders connected to the opposite ends of said piston shell, shafts connected to the ends of said spiders, piston blades extending through said shell, a shaft extending through said piston shell, links connecting between said shaft and said piston blades, by which said shaft is suspended from said piston blades, the arms of said spiders passing between said links.

15. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, piston blades mounted to rotate therein, said piston blades having arms extending outwardly from the inner end there- 'point, piston blades mounted in said piston A shell moving radially thereto, said blades becylinder at intermeof and then upwardly parallel to said blade and outwardly at the outer ends of said arms, the center of said arms at the outer ends thereof being in line with the outer edge of the piston blade.

16. In a rotary engine, the combination of a piston blade having an inner and an outer end, a support for said piston blade extending outside of said blade, the center of said support being in line with the outer of a cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein, piston blades having arms on each side thereof mounted to slide radially in said piston shell, a governing mechanism for said piston blades to keep them in contact with the inner surface of said cylinder, said governing mechanism comprising an auxiliary shaft with wheels thereon, links for supporting said shaft, said links having a sliding engagement with said wheels on said shaft, means for keeping said links in place, a power shaft suitably mounted to said piston shell. I

19. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein, piston blades having arms on each side thereof mounted to slide radially in said piston shell, a governing mechanism for said piston blades to keep them in contact with the inner surface of said cylinder,

said governing mechanism comprisingan 'of a cylinder, a piston shell mounted to rotate therein, piston blades having arms on each side thereof mounted to slide radially in said piston shell, a governing mechanism for said piston blades to keep them in contact with the inner surface of said cylinder, said governing mechanism comprising an auxiliary shaft. freely suspended by flinks having an engagement with said arms on said shaft, means for keeping said links in place, a power shaft suitably mounted to said piston shell, a rotary valve connected to said cylinder having two separate exhaust ports, an inlet port'diverging into two branches which may be brought alternately in line with the main inlet port.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTON METZLER. Witnesses:

LENA M. ASH, E1210 ISOHINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

